Summer Storm - Marichat
by armedbutterfly
Summary: During a violent storm, Parisian superhero Chat Noir searches for a place to escape the winds. He decides on his friend Marinette's home, and finds that his feelings for the girl are, to his joy, requited. Fluff, Marichat
1. Chapter 1

Harsh winds roared through the empty streets of Paris, catching in bushy trees like bugs in a net. The screeching of the storm was only amplified by the long alleys it followed. Shielding his face from the gale, Chat Noir pulled out his baton to leave a message for Ladybug. "I'm heading in early for patrol tonight," he yelled. "Nobody's leaving their houses in this." He tucked the baton into his belt and surveyed his surroundings. _There's no way I can safely make it up to my window,_ he thought. _There has to be somewhere I can camp out for the night._

His eyes landed on a modest bakery. _Bingo._ He waited for the wind to die down before crossing the street, and knocked on the glass door.

Nothing. _It's just Marinette, I'm sure she'd be fine with me sneaking in for a bit._ He found a wall facing away from the gusts and slowly scaled the bakery, landing on the roof without a sound. He silently opened the hatch that he knew lead to Marinette's room, to see that the lights were on inside. Mellow music oozed from a cell phone balanced on the desk next to Marinette, and she hummed along with the melody.

Chat carefully landed on the bed, praying that the sounds of the wind hadn't given him away as he closed the hatch. Luckily, Marinette was absorbed in her music, and continued to rhythmically knit. Chat perched on the edge of her bed to observe her, and listening to the methodical _click, click_ of the knitting needles, his eyelids gradually became heavier. _I'll just lie down for a bit,_ he thought, curling up on the bed.

He was abruptly awoken by a surprised shout. "Chat?"

Squinting at the source of the noise, Chat sat up, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"How long have you been here," Marinette demanded, standing over the bed with her arms firmly crossed.

Chat yawned. "That's a good question."

"You have to leave."

"Do I? It's so stormy outside, and this seemed like the purr-fect place to rest. Can you blame me?"

Marinette groaned, holding her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Fine, but…sleep on the couch." She gestured to the recamiér in the corner of her room.

"Aw, really? I don't get to cuddle with Mawinette," Chat teased.

She blushed. "Especially not after that."

Chat smirked and retreated to the couch, glad he hadn't had to use his Cataclysm on patrol that night. He could stay as long as he wanted—or at least, as long as Marinette would let him. As the night went on, Chat found he was unable to sleep, even though he felt exhausted. He started to fidget with his tail to pass the time, when he heard Marinette call out to him. "Won't your parents be upset?"

He chuckled. "Neither of them really cares. One's always busy, and the other, well…" His sentence trailed off, and Marinette didn't dare ask why. Chat searched for a new subject. "Is it just me, or is it chilly in here?"

"Whenever there's a bad storm, sometimes the wind gets past our insulation."

"I see. Are…you cold?"

Marinette hesitated to answer. "A little bit, yeah."

Chat grinned. "I can fix that," he said, swinging his legs off the side of the couch and climbing up the ladder that led to her bed.

"No, kitty," Marinette groaned.

"Please? I don't bite," begged Chat, lifting up the covers and gazing eagerly into Marinette's eyes.

She huffed, and gave in. "Fine, but don't try anything funny."

"I would do nothing of the sort, you have my word." He crawled under the blanket and laid mere inches from Marinette, facing her back. "If you ever feel like getting a bit closer, be my guest."

Huffing, Marinette scooted farther away. "In your dreams."

Chat closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. His breathing slowed with his heart, and he waited patiently for his drowsy side to overcome the wakeful one. He heard Marinette shuffling around, and suddenly felt her head resting on his chest, her arms wrapping around his torso. His heart started to beat faster, his face growing hot. "I thought you didn't want to cuddle," he purred, returning the hug.

Marinette froze. "I…thought you were asleep," she mumbled.

"I can pretend to be, if it makes this easier for you."

"Don't!" They were both surprised at how urgent she sounded. "It's better this way."

He grinned and pulled her even closer, and she responded by tightening the embrace. "I couldn't agree more." An unfamiliar warmth tickled the back of his neck, trailing into the center of his brain. It pulsed just below his skin with every heartbeat, lulling him softly to sleep.

* * *

Birds sang outside Marinette's window, announcing the passing of the storm. Chat yawned and buried the side of his face into Marinette's hair. "I don't want to wake up yet," he whined groggily.

Marinette shifted her legs so that they intertwined with his. "It's okay. Neither do I," she giggled. The sun slowly leaked in through her curtains, elongating the shadows in her room and reflecting off of her mirror. The glare was aimed straight at Chat, and he kept his eyes squeezed shut. Marinette, however, was faced away from the glare, and her eyes remained wide open, staring at the t-shirt in front of her face. _T-shirt…_

"Chat," she whispered. "You changed back overnight."

Adrien stayed silent as a typhoon of frantic thoughts swirled through his head. _Crap, does she know? How are you getting out of this one, Agreste? Plagg's probably laughing his ass off right now…_

"I won't look," Marinette said, interrupting his train of thought. "I promise."

"You didn't already see?"

"I'm surprised at how little you trust me, kitty," Marinette joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Right. Close your eyes." Adrien pulled out of the embrace and stood up. "Plagg," he hissed. "Where the _hell_ are you? And why did you change me back?

"Right here, kid," a voice called from the desk. Plagg was draped lazily over the monitor, waving at Adrien. "I got hungry. What do you want?"

"Transform me, right now," Adrien pleaded.

"So needy. Got any camembert?"

"I don't have time for…Marinette, would you happen to have any cheese?"

"Plenty," Marinette responded. "Hide somewhere so I don't accidentally see you, I'll go find some."

"Perfect! You're a life saver." Adrien and Plagg ducked behind the recamiér. "Ready." He heard Marinette make her way down from the bed and through the hatch to the rest of the house. Just a minute later, she returned.

"I'll put this on the desk," she said.

Plagg licked his lips and waited for her to close her eyes again before zipping out of hiding. Adrien timidly followed, wary of Marinette. As soon as Plagg had finished, Adrien whispered, "Claws out." With a flash of green, Chat was back in his suit. He exhaled with relief. "Alright, we're good."

Marinette opened her eyes and blinked, adjusting to the sudden light. "That was a close one," she laughed. "Well…you should probably head home."

"Aw, am I already being sent away?"

"Chat, I'm serious."

"Fine," Chat huffed. He pulled Marinette into one last embrace, savoring the moment, the warmth of her stomach against his. Before parting, he kissed her delicate forehead. "Thank you." As suddenly as he'd arrived, Chat opened the hatch and jumped out, leaving Marinette to process the moment in the middle of her room. He beamed brighter than the sun on his way back home, even as he realized the window to his room had closed, and he'd have to make up a reason for walking in the front door of his house at eleven in the morning. The heat that had rested at the base of his neck that last night had stuck with him; he knew he'd be returning to Marinette's soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette slowly spooned cereal into her mouth, gazing wide-eyed straight ahead. She couldn't get Chat out of her head; the loving warmth he had spawned in her heart, the sweet kiss he had left her with. Absentmindedly stroking her forehead where his lips had touched, she wondered how long it would be before she saw him again.

She packed her backpack and walked to school, finding more pleasure in the birds' calls than usual. Crows, who would be a sign of darkness on any other day, soared joyfully overhead, bringing a satisfied smile to Marinette's face.

The school building bustled with students making their ways to their first period classrooms, dreading the bell that signified the day had begun. Marinette, however, sped into class as quickly as she could, more than ready to see her friends and ask them how they slept, how their mornings went, what they would be doing after school. She bounced into her seat with a giddy spring in her step, but when her friends didn't show, she pulled out a sketchbook. She drew intricate skirt designs dotted with cat paws, and a beaming girl with thin whiskers painted onto her face. She gave the girl pigtails for good measure.

Minutes before the bell rang, Alya and Nino stepped through the door, Adrien trailing behind. Adrien gave Marinette a friendly wave before sitting down at his seat. He turned to face her. "Hey Marinette. What are you drawing?"

Marinette stuck her tongue out. "None of your business. How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well, you?"

She caught a curious glint in his eye. "Very well," she replied, a strong blush growing deeper on her cheeks at the thought of Chat. Before Adrien could ask why she seemed so nervous, the bell rang, and Marinette was relieved that the conversation had ended there so she didn't have to make up an excuse for her reddened face. Glancing at Alya, she noticed that her friend was staring at her as though she were an alien. "Alya," Marinette whispered, "what's wrong?"

Alya's mouth cracked open as she searched for words. "You…didn't stutter."

Marinette realized Alya was right. "Wow. I guess I didn't," she said. _Come to think of it, I didn't even feel as_ exhilarated _as I usually do talking to Adrien. Could it be that my feelings for him have disappeared?_

As Mme. Bustier drawled on, Marinette pondered her knew revelation. _Has my heart moved on to Chat Noir? Sure, I've always liked him, but I never thought it would surpass my crush on Adrien._

Looking down at the sketchbook in front of her, Marinette realized she had been dreamily doodling none other than Chat Noir, winking at her from the paper with a rose delicately held between his teeth. A speech bubble surrounded the word, " _princess._ "

"Nice drawing," Alya snickered.

"Shut up," Marinette shot back, a playful grin spreading across her face. "I just think he's…cute, that's all."

Alya's eyes widened. "Do you like Chat Noir?"

"I—I just—"

"Ladies." Mme. Bustier interrupted their conversation. "Care to share with us what's so interesting that it's distracting you from the lesson?"

"We're sorry, Mme. Bustier," said Marinette, sheepishly sinking into her seat.

Their teacher nodded and returned to the chalkboard. Marinette and Alya exchanged apologetic glances before Marinette obediently closed her sketchbook and placed it in her bag. Despite having been called out in class, her silly smile lingered thinking about how she'd drawn Chat. She imagined him appearing at her balcony with a rose balanced between his teeth, holding his hand out to her with the other behind his back. He would give a gentlemanly bow, and tell her, "Marinette, my princess, come with me."

Throughout the school day, Marinette dreamed of her kitty. In most of her fantasies, he came to her, welcoming her on a peaceful boat ride, a dance without the need of music. But in a smaller handful, she approached him as Ladybug, pouring out her heart to him. She knew this was impossible, because in many of these cases, she ended up revealing her identity to him, which she knew was out of the question. Chat had been controlled by akuma victims plenty of times, and she wasn't ready to make a situation where she could be tracked plausible.

If she _did_ go to him as Ladybug, what would he say? Did he still love Ladybug, after having spent such a lovely night with her as Marinette? She tried to dismiss the thought, knowing that Chat would always prefer the company of Ladybug over hers. She and Ladybug, though essentially the same, were such different people, two completely separate personalities. Surely, Chat had picked a favorite.

Sighing, Marinette's mood dropped considerably. Would someone like Chat, a superhero, ever come to love her for who she really was? It was unlikely, especially in the face of her alter ego. _If only revealing my identity wasn't so risky._

Finally, the bell rang for dismissal, and the students stood, relieved, and returned to their lockers. Leaving the classroom, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and jumped, startled to see Adrien standing behind her with a cheerful expression. "Hi there."

"Hey, Adrien. You scared me," Marinette giggled.

He rubbed the back of his head guiltily, but his grin remained. "I just wanted to say that I saw your drawings, and they're really well-done. Do you think you could make something for me?"

"Oh," Marinette started, rather surprised. "Well, of course. What do you want me to draw?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Could you draw a chibi Chat Noir doing, well…whatever, really? I'm a _big_ fan of his, and I'd like something to hang on my wall. I'll pay you anything, but you can get as creative as you'd like with the position and expression, all of that."

"There's no need to pay me," Marinette insisted. "Friends get free art for simply being friends. I'll make sure to get that to you." With that, she waved goodbye and strode home, her happy mood restored.

Adrien stayed behind, watching her pigtails bob against her neck as she walked away. Once she was out of sight, he headed home, and spread out on his bed like a worn-out kitten. Plagg floated near his ear. "So you just asked her for a self-portrait?"

"Sure, but she doesn't know that. I really want her to figure it out, though. It's been bugging me all day."

"You know how dangerous that is."

"Maybe," Adrien responded, "but I honestly don't care. Plagg, I like her enough that even Ladybug seems so much smaller."

Plagg whistled. "Kid, you're definitely a romantic, I'll say that much. But if she does find out, would she ever tell you that she did? She might be scared that it would make things 'weird' or something, you know, because she sees you _every day._ You don't think it'd be a little off-putting to be told that one of your closest friends is a superhero?"

"I like to think she'd be happy about it. If she really does like Chat, she'd be glad to see him every day, even as me. I know I'm enjoying seeing her," Adrien said, rolling over onto his stomach to hug a pillow close to the side of his face

"If you say so," Plagg chuckles. _You don't even know the half of it,_ he thought as he flew away to search for a snack.

* * *

As the sun began to fall over Paris, Marinette readied herself in case Chat arrived again. Waiting patiently, she spooned strawberry yogurt into her mouth and scrolled through the Ladyblog.

"Good evening, _purr_ incess." She whirled around in her chair to see Chat leaning against the ladder that lead to her bed, with a single cherry-red rose held in his mouth.

Marinette choked.

"I'm okay, she sputtered, "just gimme a second." Coughing into the inside of her elbow, she blushed violently, remembering her drawing from class. _Am I a prophet?_

Chat laughed with a soothing flirtatiousness. "Alright, princess. Take your time."

The use of the nickname sent Marinette into an even more intense coughing fit, and Chat knew his idea had worked. _I really_ did _tell the future,_ Marinette thought. Once her hacking calmed down, she shot Chat a weak smile. "How are you?"

"Very good, thank you. I'm guessing you're better now?" he joked.

"Yeah," Marinette mumbled. "So…"

Chat noticed the heavy, awkward air surrounding them. "Would you like to step outside?"

Nodding, Marinette followed him out of the hatch into the cool evening breeze. They leaned against the railing, and Marinette told him about her day. "And Mme. Bustier—she's the teacher—called me out for being distracted. I'm just glad she didn't make me show my drawings to the class," she said, giggling nervously.

"What did you draw?" Chat asked. He knew the answer, but he was curious what she'd say.

"Oh…nothing, really. Plants, birds."

"Can I see?"

Marinette paused, her eyes darting around the cityscape. "No."

The silence between them was broken by a scream in the distance.

" _Damn,_ " Chat hissed. "I have to go. Stay inside," he shouted behind him as he leapt off the balcony to search for the source of the screaming.

"I don't think I will," Marinette said to herself. Once Chat was out of sight, she cried, "Tikki! Spots on!" A red veil of light surrounded her, and she felt a weightless suit replace her everyday clothes. Once the light dissipated, she smirked.

"Akuma, here I come."


	3. Chapter 3

Ladybug flew across Paris, relishing the wind that whipped through her hair, her swift feet guiding her across buildings and rooftops. The city zipped by underneath her: a dark alleyway, a busking guitarist, a man selling souvenirs. People pointed at her and cheered, with no regard for the danger her presence implied. She assumed they were tourists—there were plenty of them around this time of year—and continued to bound from rooftop to rooftop.

It was amazing how _normal_ Ladybug and Chat Noir were to the people of Paris now. To most, excluding Alya and the devout followers of the Ladyblog, a pair of superheroes appearing one day out of nowhere to defend the city didn't have as much wonder in it as it used to. Chat Noir loved the tourists for this reason. Ladybug smirked, picturing him posing and signing autographs for countless enthusiastic Americans.

Suddenly, a long tendril lashed out at Ladybug from over the edge of a building, yanking her out of her mind. It retracted and slowly slinked back over the edge. Skidding to a stop, she peered down to the street to see Chat face to face with a little girl. The girl's face was pale green, and dark, swirling vines sprouting on her head replaced hair. She stood in a shoulder-wide stance, twitching every time she wanted a vine to extend. Chat deflected each attack, and glanced up at Ladybug, noticeably worn out. "Well? Are you going to help?"

She grasped her yo-yo. "Y-yeah, I'm coming!"

When she leapt down to the street, the girl paused, confused at the arrival of another hero, but an elated grin stretched across her face. Before Chat could even murmur _you're late_ , the girl cried, "Buggy!" A startlingly quick vine sped towards Ladybug, wrapping around her ankle. Chat knocked it away with his baton, and turned her way.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded, her heart beating faster and faster as she noticed how oddly soft his hair looked. "Good," he said, "any clue where the akuma might be?"

Snapping back into reality, Ladybug flung her yo-yo in the direction of a vine heading her way. She examined the girl in front of her. She was wearing a flowy dress made of leaves, and her feet were bare. "I'm not sure, there's nothing on her that could be an akumatized object."

Chat paused. "Wait…what if it's her hair?"

"Her _hair_ ," Ladybug repeated, repelling another vine.

"The vines. Think about it," he tried to explain. "Other than her odd skin, it's the only thing about her that's out of the ordinary. If we can cut her hair…"

"We release the akuma! You're brilliant, Chat."

"I'm well aware."

"I'm going to need my Lucky Charm for this, though. Fend her off for a moment, okay?"

"Got it." Chat stepped in front of Ladybug, and the girl frowned, trying to stretch the tendrils around him to reach Ladybug. "She's really bent on catching you," he called out, "be quick, alright?"

Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!" After a brilliant flash of light, Ladybug held out her arms, ready to catch whatever would appear, but hastily pulled her hands away when she saw a sleek butcher's knife falling from the air above her.

Chat glanced over and whistled. "Well, that's pretty straightforward."

"No," Ladybug muttered, carefully taking the knife in her hands, "we can't cut them all with just this. It would take too long." A vine shot past Chat, and Ladybug yelped, slicing off the tip with the knife. The tip fell to the ground and turned into an ashy, black powder, as the rest of the vine withdrew, the girl not seeming to notice a change. "That's two things confirmed," Ladybug said. "They don't grow back, and it doesn't hurt her when they're cut." She looked all around, waiting for Tikki to point out anything that could help, but the only things that stood out were her yo-yo and Chat's baton.

"I have a plan," she assured Chat, tossing him her yo-yo, then warily handing him the knife. He whacked another vine out of the way, his eyes still trained on her. "Fasten the knife to the end of your baton with my yo-yo."

Chat smirked. "I like this plan. Gimme a second," he said, getting to work on the makeshift weapon.

Meanwhile, Ladybug ran in circles around the girl. "You like bugs, don't you?"

The girl attempted to catch ladybug, swiping along the ground with a long vine. "Yeah!"

Ladybug easily hopped over the vine. "What's your name?" she asked.

"I am Druantia, and I have come to protect nature!"

"Alright, Lorax," Chat chuckled.

"It's _Druantia_!"

"You can't go throwing around the names of Celtic goddesses like that," Ladybug said. "Chat, now!"

Chat extended the baton and swung, severing most of the vines. Only one remained on the very back of Druantia's head, while the others fell to the ground and disintegrated.

"Stop it, darn cat!" Druantia cried, stomping her foot against the ground.

"Give me the baton," Ladybug said, holding her hand out to Chat. "I'll get close."

He obediently handed her the baton, stepping back in his now defenseless state. Though he was left without a weapon, he wasn't worried. "I trust you," he said, sending a happy chill down Ladybug's spine. "You can do this!"

Ladybug flashed an awkward grin, and jumped into action. Druantia's last vine flailed around angrily as through it had a mind of its own. Readying the baton, Ladybug sprung towards her, dodging the vine as it tried and tried to strike her. She was mere feet from Druantia, and when she expected the vine to hurl itself in her direction, it shot instead at Chat.

"Watch out!" Ladybug exclaimed, but it was too late. With startling speed, the vine flew on a course set for Chat's chest, but he barely managed to dodge, and the vine struck the side of his arm. At the same time, Ladybug brought the baton down at the base of the vine, and it fell, crumbling to dust before her. She quickly captured the akuma, purifying it before rushing to Chat's side.

He had fallen to the ground, clutching his wound. "It's okay," he stammered, "it's not too bad."

Ladybug felt guilty tears welling in her eyes. "We—we need to get you to a hospital, or, or…we need to go, come on!"

Chat shook his head. "We can't go to a hospital. It's too far away, and you might de-transform. I never used my Cataclysm, so I'm in the clear." He winced, squeezing his arm tighter. "My friend Marinette lives close to here. She can take care of it, she can sew well. She'll know what to do."

A panicked screaming rang through Ladybug's head. _He wants to come to my house? What if he finds out? What if I have to de-transform?_ She glared anxiously at his hand grasping his bleeding arm, and gave in, picking him up with ease. _He needs help._ "Okay, I think I remember where she is. We've met before."

"Evillustrator?" Chat asked in an attempt at casual banter.

"Before then." They sped through the city as the sky grew darker, gray clouds forming overhead. They gently landed on the balcony, and Ladybug let Chat down on his own two feet.

They ducked inside, and Ladybug pretended to search for Marinette and her family, knowing full well that her parents were cleaning up in the bakery. "I guess they're not here. I…actually have a lot of experience with sewing. Do you trust me?"

Chat nodded solemnly. "Always."

Ladybug avoided his gaze, with the feeling that she was blushing. _This is serious,_ she thought, _have some self-control._ She scanned the room as though it were new to her, and her eyes landed on her sink in the corner. "Okay, give me a moment. I just need to find a kit; they might have one in the bathroom."

She remembered a conversation she'd had with her father just months ago. "Marinette," he'd said, "there have been so many akuma attacks lately. If you ever get badly hurt and don't think you can make…and it's bleeding too…" She recalled his heavy sigh, how it inflated his chest and cheeks before he released a final, heavy breath. He'd held out a suturing kit, along with a basic first aid kit and a roll of medical binding. "Your mother knows how to use these. Just come home if anything _bad_ happens, okay?"

Ladybug shook her head, returning to the present as she rushed nimbly down the staircase to the bathroom. She swung the cabinet over the sink open, searching for the kit. Nothing. She couldn't find it under the vanity, either. After one last look in the cabinet, she spotted a small, white packet. Grabbing the kit, Ladybug paused. _Should I go to mom?_ she asked herself. _I can say this was the closest house._

 _No. Chat doesn't trust everyone._ A part of her felt selfish for wanting to save him herself, but it was overpowered by the rest of her that wanted to be by his side, helping him, so _much_.

As she hurried up the stairs, Ladybug examined the packet. There were no instructions—apparently, they had been on the box that carried it. _Damn,_ she thought, pushing through the trapdoor to see Chat leaning over the sink, a forced, comforting smile spread across his face. "It's okay, Bugaboo. You got this." Ladybug couldn't return the cheerful tone. She stood at the edge of the sink and washed her hands before unpacking the needle, pulling the thread with it. Chat glared at the needle and winced as Ladybug's hands started to quiver. "Don't worry! It's okay, it's okay!" His voice didn't do much to calm her as she caught the fear in his eyes.

 _He's trying to convince himself,_ she realized. "Chat, you're...afraid of needles?"

"I—" He clenched his arm harder, his breaths growing short. "A little, yeah. A lot."

"Shit. You just have to trust me, okay? Can you do that? Because when you panic, so do I," Ladybug muttered, fumbling with a pair of tweezers.

Chat gulped. "Sure." His breathing slowed, and his hold on his arm loosened.

Ladybug tried to grip the needle, but her gloved fingers were too slick. The needle slipped out of her grasp as she attempted to pinch it, but the fabric of her suit wouldn't hold it in place. She glanced worriedly at Chat, whose eyes were pressed shut, and back at her hand. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "Tikki."

Chat's eyes flew open. "No, don't—"

"Spots off."


	4. Chapter 4 - Finale

**-!- Mild blood/needle trigger warning -!-**

Chat sat in silence as Marinette held the needle in a lightly shaking hand. She glanced up at him, taking in the startled look on his face. _Please don't be disappointed._

"Marinette…"

"Not now, Chat." Marinette carefully nudged Chat's hand away from his wound, and he winced as she peeled away the fabric of his suit to reveal a bleeding horizontal gash in his forearm, as long as a finger, but at least half an inch deep. She curled in her lip as she handed him a bundle of paper towels before running back downstairs to find a lighter, cotton balls and some alcohol.

Upon returning to her room, Marinette found that Chat had remained in his place over the sink. He'd removed the paper towels from his arm, letting his blood flow freely, and his face was significantly paler. He stared blankly at his hand, blinking slowly at the damp fabric of his glove. His face was expressionless; he didn't even turn to greet her when she entered the room. _Okay,_ Marinette thought, trying to stay calm, _I'll work in silence if I have to._

She carefully heated the tip of the needle over the lighter's flame as she dabbed at the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. At the cotton's touch, Chat didn't flinch like Marinette thought he might. He did _nothing._ "Chat, I…" Marinette sighed, failing to pull his attention away. "I'm not sure how to do this. So just bear with me, okay?" He gave no response. "Right," she mumbled as the needle cooled. Marinette steeled herself for the first stitch. Chat merely twitched the corner of his lip as the needle entered his skin, surfacing on the other side of the gash. Another stitch. One more, two more. Once the last few stitches were complete, Marinette tied a sturdy knot and rolled back on her heels, letting out a heavy breath. As she wrapped his arm in thick gauze, the world caught up to her—her hands began to shake, her vision to blur. Only then did she really feel the needle pinched between her fingers, despite her having laid it on the counter.

Chat rested his hand on the edge of the sink and turned to her with a solemn stare. "Marinette, I think…no, I know. I _know_ I'm in love with you."

With that, his eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground with a loud _thump._

* * *

Chat awoke with the recamiér's comfy cushion beneath his aching body. He cracked his eyes open to see Marinette silently tossing reddened paper towels into a plastic shopping bag. She took another towel from a large roll and turned towards him, but jumped when she saw that he was conscious, nearly dropping the towel. "Chat, I—"

"God, I must have lost a lot of blood," he chuckled gravely. His eyes met hers, but she quickly turned away while his gaze lingered. "So…you're really Ladybug, huh?"

Marinette couldn't help but laugh as well. "Yeah. Surprise?"

The moon appeared from behind a cloud, catching on the mirror. A familiar glare shot into Chat's eye, and he sat up straight to avoid it. "This whole time, while I thought I was moving away from Ladybug, I was really growing closer," he said. "What are the odds?"

"Small. Very, very small," Marinette whispered, sitting beside him.

Chat held his head in his hands, examining the intricate hexagonal details on the knees of his suit. "We cuddled," he pointed out.

"That's…true."

"I slept in your room."

"You did."

"I _slept_ in your _room_." Thoughts fired off like fireworks in Chat's head, ricocheting around in his skull until a single idea stood in his vision, shining like the sun. "You need to know who I am."

"Chat," Marinette warned, "You can't do that."

"But you can? Plagg, claws—"

"Chat, stop!" Marinette yelled, and he froze, startled by her volume. "You don't _need_ to." She looked down at her feet, glancing back at him in the deafening stillness that followed.

"What do you mean, Marinette?" he asked, spacing his words carefully.

Marinette gulped. "I know who you are, Adrien."

Another long pause. The silence drilled into Marinette's ears, and she immediately regretted telling him the truth. Chat parted his lips to speak. "How?"

"Last night, when you transformed back…I did open my eyes." She felt like a monster by simply uttering the words. "I betrayed your trust, and I'm so sorry for that. I'm a horrible partner, and a horrible person, and I don't deserve these damned earri—"

A pair of arms suddenly surrounded her, and smooth black fabric pressed softy against her face, absorbing her tears. Marinette let herself fall into Chat's embrace, weeping softly into his chest. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, "I know you're disappointed that it was me of all people, so please don't hate me."

"Marinette," Chat purred, "I could never hate you." He pulled away from the embrace, resting his bad arm's hand on her shoulder and running the other through her hair. "I've wanted to know your identity for so long. I thought, 'The girl I'm in love with is hiding someone wonderful under that mask. If she'd only let me know, I'd have even _more_ to love.' And now I can see I was right." He smiled sweetly, sending an arrow straight through Marinette's heart.

"Chat. No...Adrien _._ I have had feelings for you for _so long_ —both of you, actually…and that was before I figured out you're the same person, and…" She groaned, shaking her head. "Everything is confusing!"

Chat chuckled. "Everything _is_ confusing."

Marinette leaned back into Chat's chest, closing her eyes. "I'm too tired for confusing."

"Same here," he yawned, "how does sleeping sound?"

"Good. Very, very good." Chat grinned and stood, Helping Marinette up as well. "I'm still a little weak," he said, gently rubbing his arm. "Oh, one moment…Plagg, claws in." After a flash of green light, Adrien was back in his normal clothes. With alarming haste, he stripped off his blazer and tee.

Marinette's mind immediately went into panic mode, and all she could form were stutters. "Oh, uhm…"

"What? It's hot in here," Adrien winked. Plagg rolled his eyes, retreating to the desk to find Tikki.

"R—right! That's right." Marinette set her jacket down on the recamiér and scaled the ladder to her bed after Adrien, where she still couldn't take her eyes from his shirtless form. _Don't freak out,_ she thought, frantic; _it's just a body. And amazing, model body. Nothing to freak out about! Absolutely nothing!_

Adrien crawled under the covers and beckoned her over. Obediently, Marinette climbed in in front of him, letting her body sink into his as though they were two spoons. Her heart pounded viciously against her ribs, and she prayed he couldn't tell. The scene felt so familiar—crickets chirping peacefully outside, the heat of a boy's stomach against her back—but it was immensely greater than their previous night together, with the crushing weight of a secret identity off of her chest. Only one detail was off.

As the night went on, Marinette heard a soft _pitter-patter_ of droplets against the roof. They gradually grew stronger and stronger, heavier and harder until a full-blown storm blew through Paris once again. Marinette wasn't frightened by the distant thunder, though.

 _Now,_ she thought, _now it's perfect._

* * *

As the bell rang, Marinette leaned forwards to tap on Adrien's shoulder. He immediately whirled around with wide eyes. "What's up?" Marinette held up a sheet of paper, and Adrien gently took it in his hands. "Woah," he cooed. "It's perfect!" From the paper, a disgruntled chibi Chat Noir glared up at them. His tail stuck straight out, and his arms waved around wildly. Bubbly letters erupted from his cartoon mouth: "Everything is confusing."

Adrien laughed and stowed the drawing safely away in a folder before he turned back to Marinette. "Any chance you're free for ice cream later? My dad finally discovered the meaning of _mercy_ and gave me a free day."

"I would love to, but I have a date," she responded, batting her eyelashes dramatically.

"Oh dear," Adrien said, faking sadness, "such a shame. May I ask what time you will be meeting this prince of yours?"

"Right after school, actually."

A look of surprise graced his face, but Adrien managed to keep his cool. "Well, he is one lucky man," he said. Without missing a beat, he grinned, returning to reality. "See you later, Marinette."

"Later!" As Marinette packed up her stuff, she saw Alya and Nino gaping at her from he corner of her eye. "What?" she giggled, "I can be confident."

Out in front of the school, Marinette hitched her backpack strap higher on her shoulder. "Ready to go?" Adrien held out his hand.

Marinette took his hand in hers, beaming happily up at him. "Aren't I always, _mon chaton_?"

* * *

 **The End**

 **Thank you for reading Summer Storm! It was a relatively short story, but I hope you enjoyed the read. If you have anything you'd like to say, please leave a review, they can really help me with my writing. Once again, thank you. Bug out!**


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